The World, Man,
and Taekwondo are One
“What is the truth?”
“... Put your hand in water and try to grasp it.”
The
principle of Taekwondo is beyond distinctions. This is different than confusing
or misunderstanding distinctions. Only when a Taekwondo-Een accepts this truth
over every distinction he can stop measuring things by his own prejudicial
measure of good or bad and come to accept everything. This is not confusion
between this and that, but rather accordance with the figure of Do.
Thus,
a man aware of the real truth grasps both that a mountain is just a mountain
and is different from the sea, as well as that the mountain’s slope extends
even to the bottom of the sea while moisture from the sea reaches to the
mountain’s very summit. Then naturally he comes to recognize that it is but a
limited cognition that distinguishes mountain from sea as neither eternal nor
ultimate. This can be applied to all things, including Taekwondo. Thus, every
person who has mastered Taekwondo knows that punching and kicking are
ultimately the same, even though each possesses distinctive functions.
Ultimately he comes to realize that everything else is the same in this way...
To
transcend every distinction not only differs from confusing and misunderstanding
distinctions but also embraces all necessary distinctions. Transcending
distinctions while also including them is equal to both accepting every
distinction with no attachment to anything in particular, and grasping the
non-distinctive truth which makes every distinction possible. Therefore,
although the truth of Taekwondo ultimately denies the division of Taekwondo
into the three aspects of Musool (martial technique), Muyae (martial art) and
Mudo (martial principle), it also affirms and accepts such distinctions. What
then are the aspects of Musool, Muyae and Mudo in Taekwondo?
Musool
refers to the functional aspect of Taekwondo towards a certain objective. Muyae
refers to its artistic aspect, which refines technique for the sake of
technique itself. Mudo refers to the comprehensive aspect, which includes both
as the same, all of them and nothing of them. Muyae, which refers to the
pursuit of technique for the sake of technique, may seem blind, however, it too
contains its rationality, which is immanent in the life of each of us. We can
understand this rationality by reflecting upon man and life. Although man is a
rational being, he is so only in the limited process of pursuing a certain end.
Once removed from that process he is as blind as natural things. This, however,
is all rather natural, that is, an aspect of the harmony of man and nature, and
this is the foundation of an unseen but absolute rationality.
Musool
(martial technique), Muyae (martial art) and Mudo (martial principle) are
simply One and ultimately cannot be divided. Thus, complete Musool necessarily
includes Do to be expanded into Mudo; so Mudo without technique is also vacant.
The art is an expression and appearance of man beyond distinctions, so it
contains both technique and Do to reveal it. Do cannot be perceived. Since Do
penetrates everything in the world there must also be Do in the very perception
of it. Instead, we can meet Do by way of Yae (arts). Therefore, there is no
difference at all between Musool, Muyae and Mudo, and there is no difference
between what is Taekwondo and what is not Taekwondo.
Some
regard it trivial and valueless only to discuss the techniques of Taekwondo
without talking about the immense principle that penetrates everything, and
this is because he misunderstands the philosophy of Taekwondo, or even Taekwondo
itself. Everything on the earth lies under the sky, and man, though he may
possess great dignity, is merely the smallest portion of this entirety. So if
there is Do in the practice of Taekwondo then it must be such a principle as
penetrates the world entire, man and Taekwondo at once. Thus, the truth of
Taekwondo emerges only when the world, man and his motions are perfectly
harmonized with one another, and it can be applied to every situation without
fault. Therefore, one who practices Taekwondo correctly can obtain both Yae[1]
and Do, even if he has learned merely a simple technique.
No comments:
Post a Comment